The suspect who fatally shot a Citibank employee in Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday was motivated by a legal dispute with the company, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO). Jacob Pearson, 35, has been identified as the shooter.
Pearson allegedly drove a sedan into the Citibank campus before entering the building and shooting LeAnne Selman, 41, multiple times. Sheriff Chad Chronister stated that Pearson fired three shots with a rifle before the weapon malfunctioned. He then retrieved a handgun from his car and fired a fourth shot as Selman attempted to crawl away.
Authorities revealed that Pearson had contacted an attorney's office affiliated with Citibank earlier that day regarding a $2,500 collection debt. He was reportedly "upset and irate" and sent a threatening letter to the company. In the letter, Pearson allegedly wrote, "Unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15, my bulletproof vest, and my insanity, you motherfing cancel this court case. Do you understand me? They are only an hour and three minutes away, so the last thing you want to do is f with me."
The attorney's office subsequently alerted a Citibank security supervisor, who is a retired Secret Service agent. The supervisor then notified the Orlando Police Department and the HCSO. Orlando police conducted a wellness check at Pearson's home, but he was not present.
Selman, who worked in the human resources department for nine years, was described as "the first person he saw" by Sheriff Chronister. Pearson has been identified as a married father of one.
